Finance Commissioner denies budget requests, says she will not put a tax increase up for a vote

SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Finance Commissioner Michele Madigan said she will not be bringing requested changes to her proposed 2013 Comprehensive Budget up for a vote by the City Council.

Mayor Scott Johnson and Public Safety Commissioner Anthony "Skip" Scirocco both requested Madigan restore funds she had cut from their requested budgets.

Scirocco's request was for $177,000 over nine line-items. The lion's share of the request -- $127,231 -- was for a labor line in his budget which, if not restored, he said will mean layoffs.

Madigan disagrees.

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"I don't think there should be any cuts. He has his own budget and he can decide what his priorities are," she said. "I don't think there is any reason to bring a tax increase to the table right now."

Madigan's proposed 2013 Comprehensive Budget -- which, if adopted unchanged, is the final budget -- would decrease taxes by a minute percentage.

The mayor requested $40,304 in budget changes for outside legal expenses for two of his departments and $5,304 for a part-time aide's salary.

In addition to the $177,000 in expenses from Public Works, Scirocco also reduced one of the revenue lines for compost by $50,000.

Including the revenue decrease, the proposed changes would have a roughly $268,000 impact on the budget. Madigan said if approved wholesale, that would change the small decrease in taxes proposed in 2013 to a 1.45 percent increase.

"Especially under the 2 percent tax cap, that represents a substantial increase," she said. "I'm not going to put forward an increased tax rate."

Most of the money Scirocco requested for the 2013 budget would bring the line items back in line with what was budgeted in 2012.

While the overall 2013 Public Works budget is still up $311,541 -- 3.6 percent -- more than half of that increase is only on paper, according to Madigan.

The DPW budget increase includes almost $165,000 in state funding for local road and highway improvements. That funding, though, is revenue neutral because it is provided by the state.

Madigan said in years past that money was included as a budget amendment later in the year.

This year, however, "we put it all in the budget on the front end," she said.

Without including that line, Scirocco's budget would still be up $146,734 -- 1.7 percent.

"She keeps talking about all this extra money I have. Where is it?" Scirocco asked, rhetorically.

He was not present at the budget workshop Monday because he was coordinating Public Works personnel in preparation for the impending storm. "We're providing essential services."

Meanwhile, Scirocco pointed to the five new hires scheduled for the Department of Public Safety.

"Public Safety got $1.3 million (in increases) and no one bats an eye," Scirocco said. "Obviously (Madigan) felt she knew better than me and could give me what she thought was right."

Madigan said the two additional firefighters and an additional dispatcher in Public Safety are accompanied by increased revenues from the fire department's ambulance revenues.

However, the Finance commissioner said she has received indications from health insurance providers that the increase in rates the city has budgeted for 2013 may not be as substantial as originally quoted by the providers this summer.

She said if they come in less than anticipated, it could mean some "wiggle room" in the budget and she said she would consider the requested increases.

Another budget hearing is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 1. The City Council needs to approve a budget before the end of November or the 2013 Comprehensive Budget is automatically adopted.